Electrical cieotjit beeaeee foe amuwciatoes and gas



(No Model.)

T. H. RHODES. ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR ANNUNGIATORS AND GASLIGHTING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 29,1884.

FAFEOE 'FEODR" I d madfi. 5%wia4 N. PETERS. Pmwu UNTTED STATEs PATENTTHOMAS H. RHODES, OF BROOKIXX, NFAV YORK.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT-BREAKER FOR ANNUNCIATORS AND GAS-LlGHTlNG APPARATUS.

KPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 92,586, dated January29, 1884.

(Xo model.)

To :LZZ whom it may cancer/2,

Be it known that I, Trroius H. l-tnonns, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in ElectricCircuit Breakers i'or Aununciators and Gas-Lighting Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

Thermic circuit-closers have heretofore been employed in which the localcircuit acts on a magnet, as maybe seen in Letters Patent No. 213,286,granted to me.

The present invention relates, primarily, to a device in which heatdeveloped by a resistance in an electric circuit acts to break thecircuit, so that the injury sometimes resulting to the battery ingas-lighting and annuneiator devices from the circuit remaining closedan undue length of time is prevented. I com bine with this a drop thatanswers as an indt cator, and also a device for closing a local circuitto a bell or alarm that is used to call at lention to the action of thethermic circuitbreaker.

The thermic circuit-breaker is composed of a spring, a, one end of whichis attached to a fixed stud or support, I), and the other end is free.This spring is preferably of two different metalssuch as brass andsteel-in order that the free end may be moved when the spring becomesunduly heated. The thermic circuit-breaker, however, .may be composed ofany suitable materials that will expand differentially and produce amotion at the circuit-breaker, and this thermic circuit-breaker may bestraight or curved, or U-shaped, or in the volute form represented. Theelectric circuit, consisting of the wires (1 d and a re turn wire orground, (1, passes through a resistancesuch as the helix cof fineplatina wire in intimate contact with or proximity to the spring a, sothat when said helix becomes heated by the resistance as the electriccurrent passes through the same the free end of the spring a is moved tobreak the electric circuit between such free end of the spring anddropf. There should be a strip of sill; or other insulating materialbetween the helix 0 and the spring a, as at f, Fig. .l, to prevent theelectric current passing directly from the helix [0 the spring. Thebattery 13 is in the circuit (Z, and in the same circuit there is to bea push-button, g, or a gas-lighting device.

71, or any electric appliance or appliances. It

between the free end etc and the drop f. This drop f may also become anindicator or annunciator. For instance, in a building fitted withgas-lighting devices there maybe a thermic circuit-lncaker to each flooror section, as indicated in Fig. 2, and it the current remains onthrough any burner or other con nection on one of the sections thedropping ol' the tagf will indicate the section where the dit'licultyhas arisen.

These indicators may be placed side by side and each drop properlymarked. By arranging the wires as illustrated in the diagram the circuitwill remain in working condition, except upon the floor or branchcircuit where the trouble has arisen. In this case it is understood thatthe return-circuit is through the burner and gas-pipe or groundconnection; but a return-wire may be provided. This improvement may'beused as an annunciator in cases where the thermic device is properlyadjusted to insure the liberation of the drop by the heat developedduring the time that the push-button 1 is pressed upon. This allows anannunciator to be made without the use of an electro magnet. When usedas an annunciator, the drop fshould have numbers or otherindicating-marks on the back, or be used as a cover for marks placed ona dial or face. In some instances the fall. of the drop f is employed toclose a circuit to an automatic circuit-lweaking alari'n-bell. A devicefor doing this is shown at I, where there is a circuit-closiug spring,in, against ICO sea.

which the drop falls and presses it into coir tact with an insulatedstop, or, so as to close a circuit through the wires to from one or morecells of battery through the alarm or bell S, which, hence, is rung tocall attention to the drop f, and to circuitconnection which has causedthe thermic circuit-breaker to operate the drop.

This improvement is available wherever it is desired to break theelectric circuit after a short-lapse of time. Under ordinarycircumstances of use in electric gaslighting appa ratus the circuit ismade and broken so instantaneously that there is not time for thethermal circuit-breaker to operate, and the period of time consumed inheating the thermic circuit-breaker will depend on the deli cacy or thepeculiar construction of the same and the strength of the current.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with athermic-cireuitbreaker, of an electric circuit, and a heating resistancein such circuit, adjacent and parallel to the thenmie circuit-breakeraml inten i vening layer of insulating material, whereby the heatdeveloped by the resistance when the circuit is closed acts upon thethermic device to break the electric circuit, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination, witha thermic circuit breaker, of an electriccircuit, a resistance in such circuit to develop heat and operate theVitnesses:

Gno. T. PINCKNEY, \VILLIAM G. Mom.

